In the past, the problem of picking up and disposing of material, such as animal litter, has involved the use of several devices which are not practical to make or use. Long rods terminating in rectangular metal or plastic scoops have been used to collect animal waste. Such scoops are difficult to maneuver, as well as heavy and cumbersome to carry. Moreover, in order to be stored and reused, metallic scoops must be washed and dried to minimize rusting.
Other devices for disposing of animal litter involve the attachment of bags to frames having "scissor-like" hinging and metallic or plastic members for pushing the waste into the bags. Such devices are also cumbersome to carry and handle. In order to be reused, the bags must be reattached to the frames.
Other waste disposal methods involve the use of disposable plastic bags having wire frames which encircle the bag's open end. Waste material must be pushed into the bag and the wire frame must be manually pressed in order to seal the bag. The manipulation required with such methods often results in soiling of the user's hands.
Glove-like systems which may be inverted or turned inside-out for waste disposal have been utilized in the past. However, such systems have numerous disadvantages and shortcomings. For example, the glove of U.S. Pat. No. 4,645,251 is "mitten" shaped, having an enlarged portion for receiving the user's four fingers. Such a design makes it difficult for the user to feel and grasp the object to be picked up. Moreover, the system requires the use of more than one glove. A flexible inner glove is placed over the hand of a user. A flexible outer glove is placed over the inner glove. After picking up of waste, the outer glove is removed or stripped off of the inner glove to an inside-out pouch forming configuration. The outer glove must be grasped by the sleeve in order to be pealed off. In doing so, the user's ungloved hand may become soiled.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,788,733 to Lerner discloses a glove having a towel layer. However, individual compartments for accommodating each of the user's fingers are not provided. Moreover, a user of the glove disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,788,733 must grasp the free end of the glove's body with his/her ungloved hand in order to invert same. A relatively thin string surrounds the access opening of said glove to function as a tie. The string cannot be easily manipulated to cause inversion of the glove.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,222,777 to Clonch discloses an apparatus for picking up and removing objects, which involves the manipulation of a rigid. accordion-like compartment. The compartment is manipulated by exerting the force of the user's thumb on its top portion and the force of the user's other four digits on its bottom portion. Hence, the device of U.S. Pat. No. 5,222,777 cannot be effectively used for adequately cleaning irregular surfaces, or for containment of liquid waste. Moreover, the string which is circumscribingly attached to the device's open end does not facilitate removal of the device from the user's hand.
Glove-like collection systems of the past, having towel layers or other waste contact means, have not easily permitted a user to move and control his/her fingers and palm in order to grasp material to be collected. Moreover, the waste collection devices heretofore used have not provided a suitable means for covering the user's forearm in order to prevent soiling of the user's skin or clothing while the glove is being used. Although ties or strings have been provided on such glove-like devices, the ties or strings are difficult to attach to the device, and are cumbersome to operate. Moreover, such ties and strings are difficult to manipulate in order to cause inversion of glove-like devices.